It was safe and cozy where she
was, and Rhian sighed with gratification before allowing her eyes
to flutter open. Stretching out her limbs, her naked skin brushed
against the soft sheets, reminding her of the passionate haze of
sensual delight Deven had enveloped her in the previous night.

Closing her eyes again, Rhian let
the memory caress her. Without any effort, she could almost feel
the womans arousing touch and a slight shiver of desire
rippled through her body ultimately to settle in the tender flesh
between her legs.

The martial artists arm lay
draped across Rhians midsection, and the landscaper lightly
traced the soft skin along the forearm with her fingertips.
Turning her head to the side, she studied Devens face mere
inches from her own and smiled at the peaceful countenance. This
was the first morning in some time that shed awakened
before her companion, and she was pleased to see the woman was
still sleeping soundly.

Enjoying the rare quietude, Rhian
reflected on the past few months. It was a marvel to her at just
how much her life had changed. How much shed changed, for
that matter. There was a sense of completeness to her life unlike
anything shed known was possible, and she emotionally
embraced it. Devens love had helped her to grow beyond the
fears and rediscover the value of her self-worth.

Rhians eyes traced the
contours of Devens face, and she felt a sudden surge of
love so passionate it brought tears to her eyes. You have no
idea how beautiful you are, my love. Not just physically but
inside. What an amazing person you are and you cant see it.

Moving towards wakefulness, the
martial artists features tensed and her grip on Rhian
tightened while sleepy eyes opened and slowly focused. "Hey
you," Deven whispered, her voice rough from the first deep
sleep shed had in weeks.

"Hi," Rhian replied.
Undeniably, she was childishly happy to have her friend awake,
but at the same time, the nurturing part of her personality
wished that Deven could take advantage of the quiet and sleep
longer.

Aware that she was being observed,
it made her a touch uncomfortable and Deven tried to jump-start
her brain. "What?" she asked.

Reaching out, Rhian gently
smoothed her lovers bangs. "Dont get all
self-conscious on me. I just like looking at you. I dont
get to do it often enough because youre up and running
before I even start to stir. And the rest of the time,
youre so restless you just dont sit still long enough
for me to enjoy the view."

"Huh." Despite her
efforts, the martial artist couldnt seem to get her brain
to engage enough to allow her to come up with an intelligent
response. Stretching, Deven realized that she felt good this
morning, better than shed felt in weeks and wasnt
eager to let go of the warmth that still held her in its grasp.

Turning on her side and shifting
her body closer, Rhian settled against her lover, their limbs
tangling together in familiarity. Then bringing her lips closer,
she kissed her lover tenderly. "Good morning."

"Morning." Deven wrapped
her arms around her friend, hugging her snugly. "What do you
say we spend the day in bed?"

"Well, as tempting as that
is, its the kids day." As Rhian expected, Deven
groaned. "Now, we agreed," she reminded the martial
artist.

"I know, but would it destroy
something if we skipped it once? I mean would we truly damage
their little psyches?"

Rhian smiled indulgently against
her lovers neck. "No, it wouldnt actually
destroy anything, but we would be missing out on a bonding
experience. It may not seem like it now, but it wont be
that long before they dont want to do things with us
anymore."

"I suppose," Deven
grumbled. "By the way, were giving Tiernan a bike for
his birthday, so remind me to order it this week."

Lifting her head, Rhian rested her
fist on Devens chest and then propped her chin up on it.
"Excellent," she said. "As for today, I thought we
could take them to that little carnival in town."

"Arent they a little
young for that?"

"Not really. They have kiddy
rides. And well load them up on lots if sugar and junk
food."

"And have them throwing up
all night?" Deven asked in disbelief. "No thanks."

"But thats one of the
rites of childhood I think. Come on, you did it."

"No, I didnt."

Rhian studied her friends
expression. "Never?"

"Never. My mother refused to
let us go, and my father didnt like to be bothered with
stuff like that. When I got older and could have found my own way
there, I was always training or competing. So, no, Ive
never been to a carnival or a fair or a circus. Id never
even been to the zoo until you and I took the kids."

The younger woman was reminded
once again at just how different Devens childhood had been
then her own, and it just made her more determined that their
children would know as many of the simple pleasures that life had
to offer as possible. "I think theyd have a good
time."

"Jay and Nicole are supposed
to come over."

"The game isnt until
eight tonight, right?" Rhian asked and received a nod in
response. "We should be home long before then." Deven
sighed in resignation, causing the younger woman to laugh.
"Itll be fine, sweetie. Youll probably even
enjoy yourself."

"Right. I can think of lots
of other things Id enjoy so much more," she replied as
her fingertips leisurely traced Rhians back and ribs.

"Hmm, me too. What do you say
to a nice bath?" the landscaper asked between soft nips
across the martial artists chest.

"Only if you join me."
Deven felt the heat of arousal moving throughout her flesh and
reached out to grasp it. She wanted to spend the rest of her life
floating in the haze of love and desire that only this woman
could create.

"Oh, definitely." Rhian
responded, but as she attempted to move away, Deven gripped her
in a fierce hug that was startling in its fervor. Settling back
down, she allowed her lover to hang on and returned the embrace.
"Are you okay?"

The declaration was met with a
full smile from the dark haired woman. "Lets go get
wet."

Rhian grinned as she rolled off
the bed. "As if Im not already."

***

"Here," Deven said
triumphantly as she handed the large stuffed unicorn to Rhian.

The landscaper laughed delightedly
at the prize. "Thank you, sweetheart." It had taken
several attempts for the martial artist to figure out the most
effective way to win the toy, and by then Rhian had been ready to
walk away. But her companion had been determined, and in the end,
shed done it.

"I want one, too," Seana
whined.

Deven rolled her eyes. No way
in hell Im doing that again. "You can share
Mamas."

"Mommy, I have to go,"
Tiernan announced while tugging on his mothers jeans.

She looked at her son and then
scanned the area. The line outside the portable toilet was way
too long for her patience, and judging from his squirming, for
his small bladder as well. "Okay." Turning towards
Rhian, she said, "Im going to take him over behind
that group of tents over there. Wait for me here, okay?
Dont go wandering off," she said gravely.

Rhian cocked her head slightly.
"Relax, Champ. We wont go off and leave you."

"Funny," she replied as
she led Tiernan off.

Returning to where shed left
Rhian and Seana, Deven didnt see them anywhere. She scanned
the area, grateful for her height but still didnt catch a
glimpse of her lover or the little girl.

"Yo, Masterson."

Spinning around, she felt an
immediate rush of anger and adrenaline as she faced Mace Collier.
"Arent you supposed to be in jail?" she hissed at
him.

"Time served," he said
nonchalantly, and then his eyes drifted down to the boy.

She automatically pulled her son
closer. "What do you want?" she asked, more as a demand
than an inquiry.

"Its not what I want.
Ive got what I want. Cute blonde." He smiled at her.
"Its what do you want?"

Devens stomach knotted with
barely harnessed fury. "Where is she? And where is the
little girl?"

"Near. Ill take you to
them."

"So help me, Mace, if
anything has happened to her or the child, I will kill you."

He laughed and the sound was
grating. "I dont think so. Lets go." He
indicated she should walk in front of him and watched as she
lifted the little boy in her arms. Following several steps behind
her, he directed them out into a deserted field behind the fair.

They walked nearly fifty yards
across the field to where several cars were parked, and as they
neared, Deven saw Rhian and Seana standing to one side against a
dark sedan. They both appeared unharmed, and the martial artist
quickly surveyed the area. She noted that the sound of the
carnival blanketed any calls for help, and they were far enough
away from the activity that the rapidly descending dusk was
shadowing them from any curious observers. As they neared the
group, Deven crossed to where her lover stood. "Are you
okay?"

"Yes. Glad youre here
though," Rhian answered.

Reaching out a hand, Deven gently
caressed the side of Seanas head. The child was definitely
afraid and had been crying, and that fed Devens rage.
"Hi, princess. Hang in there, okay?"

The little girl nodded as she
clung to her mother. "Whats going on?" Rhian
asked softly.

"Im about to find
out." She set Tiernan down next to Rhian and then turned to
face Mace. "Im going to take my family and leave now.
If you have any brain cells left in that empty space called your
head, youll just get out of my way." She was aware
that in a matter of seconds theyd been surrounded by a
handful of men. Maces little hood wannabes. This could
be fun. "What do you want?"

Several men charged her at the
same time, but she was ready. Shed been training for this
moment and embraced the feral part of her nature as it rose up,
donning it like a shield. Moving instinctively, she kicked her
attackers while maneuvering herself between them and her family.
Had she stopped to think about what she was doing, she would have
realized just how much she was enjoying the challenge.

They came at her and she
countered, driving them back with solid punches and kicks. It was
almost too easy even though she was at a distinct disadvantage.
Not because they outnumbered her, but because of the people she
had to protect. Shed trained to face multiple attackers and
normally shed have remained in constant motion causing them
to follow her. The intention was to move in a large circle and
keep her attackers on the defensive, chasing after her. The
technique would keep them in front of her and ultimately get them
lined up. Then she would only have had to fight the person in
front because their body would effectively block those behind
them. But she couldnt move much without exposing Rhian and
the children.

Seana screamed at the same time
several men charged, and for a second Devens attention was
diverted to the child. That instantaneous loss of focus was
enough, and she felt a searing pain explode through her hand as a
crow bar struck the back of it. "Son of a bitch!" she
roared and then turned the pain into power. Spinning she struck
the arm holding the weapon with an axe kick, cracking the forearm
before driving her elbow into the attackers face.

A sound of a gunshot fractured the
air, and everyone froze accept Deven who crouched slightly as she
spun around to face her family. A chill ran down her spine and
settled in her belly as she recognized the man now holding a gun
to the side of Rhians head. Deliberately rising back to her
full height, she regarded the ghost from her past.

***

"Hello, Deven."

Mannys deep rich voice
reached her ears, and she slowly raised her hands, palms out
towards him noting for the first time the swelling of her right
hand. "Just take it easy," she said.

Taking advantage of the situation,
Mace pulled his arm back and stuck Deven just below the ribcage
with his fist. Shed sensed the blow coming and could have
easily deflected it, but she didnt want to risk that Manny
might misinterpret her actions. Not while he had a gun pointed at
Rhian. She flinched at the blow and doubled over slightly before
taking a deep breath and straightening back up. The children were
crying openly, and she wanted to somehow reassure them. Squaring
her shoulders, she smiled at the man. "That the best you
got?"

"Thats enough!"
Manny held Rhian by the upper arm, the gun never leaving the side
of the womans head. "Back off," he directed at
Mace.

Deven studied the situation
quickly to evaluate her options. Most of Maces buddies were
sprawled on the ground either unconscious or in pain. They
didnt concern her, but the men and women now forming a
circle around them did. They werent some half-baked street
bums. These were professionals, and Deven saw her options
disappearing rapidly.

She looked at Rhian. Seana was in
her mothers arms, crying softly on her shoulder, and
Tiernan had his arms wrapped around the womans leg, large
tears silently coursing down his face. "What now?" she
asked Manny.

"I want you to take a little
ride with me," he said as easily as if he were talking about
a drive through the countryside.

This wasnt how it was
supposed to be! Devens nostrils flared and her pupils
dilated. Every muscle in her body went taut with unreleased
energy. Shed waited for this confrontation for years.
Shed always believed that this was to be her ultimate
contest. A true fight to the death, her death, and her goal had
never been to survive it but to take as many of them with her
before they ended it. She was a fighter and had always known
shed die fighting and on her feet, but in all the times
shed imagined this moment, a family hadnt been part
of the scenario.

The risk that Rhian or the
children would be hurt or worse was too great, and she
didnt want to be killed in front of them. The only
alternative was to give up and let them take her. Everything
within her screamed in rage against the idea, but as she looked
at Rhian, she felt the fight ebb out of her. Shed already
lost. Her eyes met her lovers, and she sent a silent prayer
out for forgiveness. "Nothing happens to them," she
said to Manny but her eyes never left Rhians.

"As long as you cooperate,
you have my word. Tiny will have your truck brought here, and
hell stay with them until he hears from me. Then
theyll be free to go."

Deven nodded and stepped forward,
and Manny eased back.

"Deven, dont do this,
please," Rhian said. "There has to be some other
way."

The martial artist picked up her
son and then wrapped her free arm around Rhian and Seana. "I
love you all."

"Dont go," Rhian
pleaded. "Please."

"I have to. Its the
only way I can be sure youll be all right. As long as I do
what they say, theyll let you go."

"You dont know
that!"

Deven struggled to keep her voice
calm. "Sweetheart, I know that if I try to fight now, at
least one of you will get hurt or worse. I cant take that
risk." She took a deep breath. "When they let you go,
head over to your parents house and call Jay."

"No, Deven! You
promised!" Rhian felt her body growing cold from the inside
out. She saw the defeated look in her lovers eyes and
wanted to scream, to somehow wake up that aspect of the woman
that was confrontational in nature. Without thought, she reached
out and slapped the martial artist as hard as she could.
"You promised me that you wouldnt leave me!"

The womans head snapped back
at the blow, but the reaction Rhian had hoped to cause
wasnt forthcoming. If anything, the martial artist looked
despondent. What the landscaper didnt understand was that
Deven already knew what lay ahead for her and had started to
accept it. She placed a kiss on Seanas head. "Be a
good girl for Mama," she said before turning her attention
to her son.

"Tiernan." The boy clung
to his mother and cried harder. "Son, listen to me, okay?
You take care of Rhian and Seana for me until I get back. Uncle
Jay will help you." She knelt while slowly moving his grasp
from around her neck back to Rhians leg. She kissed him
before standing back up.

She looked into the eyes of the
woman who had in a very short time given her life meaning and
purpose. Grandmother, please look over them. She took
Rhians face in her hands and kissed her hard. "I love
you." She brushed her lips once more with just the whisper
of a kiss. "Im sorry."

"Lets go,
Masterson." Manny signaled and one of his men cuffed
Devens hands behind her back.

"Are these really
necessary?" The pain in her hand was becoming bothersome and
to have the hand trapped behind her back didnt help.

"Do you take me for a
fool?" he replied tersely. They led her to the nearest sedan
and directed her into the back seat. Manny turned to Tiny before
getting in the car as well. "If you havent heard from
me within an hour, you know what to do," he directed.

"Mommy," was the last
thing Deven heard before the door closed and the car sped away
into the gathering gloom.

Part 2

Trying to find a more comfortable
position, Deven shifted in the seat, but it didnt help. The
truth was that she was extremely uncomfortable. She absolutely
hated to be confined in any way, and with her arms trapped behind
her back she was growing edgy. On top of that, the painful
throbbing from her broken hand was increasing with each minute
that passed. In an effort to take her mind off her agitation, she
studied the cars other occupants.

Manny sat to her left, talking
into his cell phone, and she tuned him out for the moment. She
didnt recognize the driver at all, but the young man
sitting directly in front of her looked vaguely familiar. He
glanced over his shoulder at his boss, and it was then that Deven
recognized the profile.

"Hi, Sali," she
addressed him with a hint of teasing in her voice.

The driver snickered at the
childhood nickname, which earned him a glare from the twenty year
old. Turning in his seat, the young man looked directly at her.
"Hi, Dev."

Hed only been a child when
shed last seen him, a gawky preteen entering adolescence
with a massive crush on her. "You grew up nice. You look
real good. I think you were what? Twelve the last time I saw
you."

"Yeah," he answered,
obviously at a loss for words.

"You look a lot like
Tito," she observed.

"Thanks," he replied
sincerely.

A thought occurred to her, and she
pinned him with her eyes. "A word of advice, little brother.
If youre going to run around the woods, especially at
night, youd do better to wear boots or sneakers. Not your
good shoes." The reddening of his cheeks confirmed for her
that shed guessed correctly. Hed been the watcher in
the woods. "Thank you for calling the ambulance when my son
got hurt."

"He healed up fine. I just
want you to know that I appreciate what you did for him."
Then another notion popped into her head. "Did you send the
photographs?" she asked him, her tone edged with barely
censored annoyance.

"No," he said as his
eyes briefly settled on his father.

Interrupting his telephone
conversation, Emmanuelle Di Napoli addressed his son.
"Salvatore," was all he said, but it was enough to
convey his displeasure.

"Yes, Papa," Sali
replied to the reproach and turned back around in the seat.

Deven watched the man next to her.
Manny wasnt exactly handsome, though he did have rugged
good looks that were becoming decidedly distinguished as he aged.
His sons, on the other hand, favored their mother and possessed a
more refined bone structure that gave them both a handsomeness
that bordered on striking. But looks werent what drew
people to Manny. They were attracted to his commanding presence,
and Deven noted that it hadnt diminished at all over the
years.

Finished with his phone
conversation, he switched his attention to her. "Why the
photographs?" she asked him.

"I would think that
obvious."

"To spook Rhian into
leaving," she acknowledged.

"It would have made this so
much simpler."

Deven resisted the urge to laugh
out loud. "Sorry this is so much work for you. You could
just drop me off at the next gas station. Im sure I could
find my way home." He shook his head slightly either in
amusement or disbelief. She wasnt sure which.

"Whose idea was it to burn
them?" he asked.

"Does it matter?"

"No."

She shrugged as much as her
confined state would allow. "It was Rhians. Shes
got this protective streak that shows up now and again."

"When I heard youd
become tamed I was fascinated, and I just had to find out who had
managed such a miracle. But I must admit I was surprised.
Shes so nondescript. Cute certainly, but not at
all what was the quality you sought most often? Oh yes,
whorish."

Deven did laugh at that. "Do
you honestly think Id take a whore into my house? Give me
some credit, Manny. I learned my lesson." The ache in her
hand was causing a faint sheen of perspiration to break out on
her skin. "So you send Sali to spy on me. You send pictures
to Rhian to get her out of the way. Why? Why after all these
years? I mean I did everything I could to stay on your radar. I
never hid from you. So, why now?"

"Why indeed." She
didnt think he was going to answer. He seemed lost in
thought, and she turned her attention to the darkness outside the
vehicle.

"My associates blamed me when
you went to the police," he finally said.

"Not that it matters now, but
that was my fathers doing. Not mine," Deven said as
she watched him twirl his cane between his fingers. Shed
never seen him with a cane before. He hadnt needed one.

"The District Attorney
couldnt touch me," he continued. "They tried but
couldnt dig up anything useful. Still, it was messy,
public, and someone had to pay." He rubbed his leg absently,
and Deven understood the implication. Theyd punished him
when they couldnt get to her. "Every time it pains me,
I think of you."

"So, why didnt you come
after me? I waited for you."

His laughter was low and resonated
deep in his chest. "Believe me it would have given me great
pleasure at the time to have put a bullet through your head. But
Tito, God rest his soul, managed to convince me otherwise."

"He shouldnt
have," she whispered.

"He explained much. He
betrayed your confidence, Deven, to save you. And I realized that
to some extent I was also to blame."

She eyed him curiously. "Why?
You had nothing to do with it. Im the one who lost
it."

"Yes, but I didnt do
anything to stop you either."

"Wasnt your
responsibility."

"As an employee, you were my
responsibility the day I hired you. But it became personal when I
took you into my home. Choices, Deven. You and I have made some
pretty bad ones. That is not to say that you were a bad choice.
You were never that. Not clipping your wings, however, was a very
bad decision on my part. But Im not going to revisit that
with you. We dont really have the time for it." His
cell phone rang, and he checked the display before forwarding the
call to voice mail. "A renewed interest in you has arisen
recently and someone wants their pound of flesh. To be quite
honest, Im not certain who initiated the contract but I
assumed the right to carry it out. Given our history and
all."

"Kill two birds with one
stone, eh? That should please you immensely. Get your revenge
while providing theirs. Convenient."

Reaching across the seat, he
gripped her chin firmly in his hand. "You listen to me. I
dont think you understand the seriousness of this
situation."

She smiled at him.
"Youre kidding me, right? Do you think this is all
because I gave the police a couple of names and locations for
fights? Shit, Manny, I only gave them the names of two people so
far down the food chain they couldnt have possibly linked
them to you. I didnt tell them anything they didnt
already know. If they were able to tie anything back to you
personally, your security really sucked." Her smile vanished
and she glowered at him. "This has nothing to do with that,
at least not for me. I know what Ive done, and Ive
always known that I would have to pay for that. So back
off!"

He held her firmly, pulling her
closer and staring into her eyes. "Are you really so eager
to die, Deven? I dont think so. At one time, you would have
welcomed it but now, you have Rhian and your children. La
famiglia è molto importante. Even to you, and I dont think
you want to leave them."

"It doesnt matter what
I want."

He studied her, still holding
tightly to her face. "Do you love her?"

"Fuck you!"

He pressed his fingers harder into
her flesh. "Do you love her?"

"Yes," she hissed at
him.

"And your son, Deven, do you
love him?"

She glared at him.
"Yes."

"Enough to die for
them?" She didnt answer but her gaze never wavered,
and he released his grasp. "Well, they certainly seem to
love you."

"You sound
disappointed," she remarked.

"No. Everyone deserves to be
loved, Deven. Even you."

"You sound like Rhian,"
she muttered.

"Smart woman." He
thumped the end of his cane absently on the floor of the car.
"I wish youd trusted me more. I was not like your
father."

"No?" she snorted.
"I was your fighter, Manny, just like I was his. I was your
prize pit bull. For you, it was the money. For him, it was the
bragging rights."

"I hate to burst your bubble
of self importance, Deven, but I didnt make my fortune off
of you. I just loved to watch you fight. Almost as much as you
loved to do it, I might add."

This man had always treated her
well, and as best she could tell, had always been honest with
her. At one time hed welcomed her into his household and
had never treated her like property, and she did understand his
desire for revenge. If she were going to die now, a part of her
was more accepting that it was coming from him instead of a
stranger. That he would hurt her was certain, but he
wouldnt allow them to defile her. She found a perverse sort
of comfort in that.

It always came back to the choices
shed made. At the time she hadnt even considered
going to him and had chosen instead to let her father make
life-altering decisions for her. What if shed gone to
Manny? What would her life have been like? It wouldnt have
included Rhian. She would have never known that kind of love or
compassion, and she would have missed out on the best part of her
life, brief as it was. Her chest tightened, and she quickly
steered her thoughts away from what shed already lost.

"How does that weasel Mace
fit into this?" she asked.

"Just a means to an end.
Apparently, he was arrested for assaulting your girlfriend. While
he was in jail he threw your name around, and the acquaintance of
an acquaintance picked up on it. I used him to get you where I
needed you to be."

Deven nodded. "Clever
you."

He regarded her. This woman was
not unlike the fighter hed known, but she was definitely so
much more. There was a depth to her now, and on some level he
regretted what was to come. "You have a nice family, Deven.
I never would have figured you for the domestic type though there
was always a part of you that longed for it."

"Yeah well, shit
happens."

"That it does." The car
stopped behind a large brick building, and he waited until they
were alone in the vehicle before speaking again. "Id
like you to make it home to them. Though I cant guarantee
in what condition that will be."

It was a struggle, but Deven
managed to maintain her composure. She had to. Nothing that she
was about to endure could possible come close to the agony
shed suffer if she failed to secure freedom for Rhian and
the children. The car door opened abruptly, and Salvatore reached
in and helped her to her feet. "This way," he said as
he escorted her into the building.

It appeared to her to be one large
warehouse. They were the only people there at the moment, but the
cleanliness and amount of inventory stacked in neat rows
indicated it was used regularly. No one spoke as they waited for
the other car to arrive. Within minutes, another five individuals
including Mace joined them.

She was led past several rows of
industrial shelving to a secluded area and watched in silence as
her ankles were shackled by chains attached to two opposing load
bearing supports. There was little room to move her legs, which
of course ensured she couldnt kick anyone.

Manny pulled his cell phone from
his pocket and held it up for Deven to see. The handcuffs were
opened on one wrist and inserted through a loop in a chain
suspended over her head and then reattached to her free hand. No
weapons. She sighed. There was only one thing remaining for
her to do. She stilled herself and met his eyes. "You gave
me your word."

"That I did." Manny
opened the phone and dialed. "Let them go. You know where to
meet."

"How do I know youre
talking to him?" she asked.

"Shame on you, Deven."
He stepped closer to her. "Put the woman on," he said
into the phone before holding it up to her ear. "Dont
do anything stupid. I can still change my order."

"Deven?" Rhians
voice reached her.

"Hey. Do what I said,
okay?"

"Where are you?" Rhian
cried. "Are you alright?"

Deven could hear the panic in her
lovers voice. "Rhian, you have to focus. Get the kids
out of there."

The phone snapped shut, cutting
off the connection. Its done. She took several deep
breaths and mentally severed all ties with Rhian and the
children. They were gone to her now. She dug down deep within
herself and pulled up every ounce of anger she possessed and
every thread of hatred shed ever known in her life. So,
I cant fight. Ill still die with my pride intact.
Lifting her chin, she sneered at Manny. "Bring it on."